In Australia, this small bird forms flocks in dry grassland and eats grass seeds.
Wild Australian birds are mainly grey with a black stripe below the eye. Adult males have orange-chestnut cheek patches, which females lack.
An island bird survey on Semau, Indonesia, was based on 18 days of visits between 1989 and 1991, plus two days in 2012. Zebra Finches were common in cultivated areas, village gardens and grassland, and the observers noted birds drawn to small pools. Flocks reached about 40 birds. In 2012 they were again abundant in village grass, along roads and in savanna.
In dry landscapes, small water points and open grassy places can help shape where birds gather each day. These records cover a limited number of visits to one island; they are not a census of the island’s population or a measure of its current trend.
IUCN Red List · Least Concern (LC) · Global
The IUCN Red List assessed the Zebra Finch as Least Concern globally in 2018, with a stable trend. The Semau Island survey recorded the birds in cultivated land and village gardens as well as grassland. Local observations do not measure the species-wide population or its current trend. Tracking changes in water points and open grassland can help describe local habitat conditions in dry landscapes.